New York Mets fans were not pleased.
But plenty of Westport who root for the Queens team were nonetheless excited in the 9th inning of last night’s Game 1 of the National League Championship Series.
Ben Casparius — the 2017 Staples High School graduate, who was called up to the majors in August, and has responded well in relief — closed out the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 9-0 win, at Dodger Stadium.
The Mets went down 1-2-3, in the fourth-largest shutout win in postseason history.
The Dodgers have now matched the 1966 Baltimore Orioles for the longest scoreless streak ever — 33 innings — in a single postseason.
Game 2 is today at 4 p.m. EDT (Fox/FS 1).
Ben Casparius (Photo courtesy of Dave Briggs)
Click here to watch the inning he pitched. Click below for a great post-game interview.
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Three days ago, our Friday Flashback referenced the many bands that played concerts at Staples High School, in the 1960s and ’70s.
If it sounded too good to be true — a hallucination, perhaps — here’s proof.
“The High School That Rocked!” — the 2017 documentary that chronicles concerts at Staples by the Doors, Cream, Rascals, Animals, Remains, Sly and the Family Stone, and others (including a very young, pre-Aerosmith Steve Tyler) — is available to stream today.
Fred Cantor — a 1971 Staples grad who, to his everlasting regret, missed those shows — made the film with Casey Denton, a 2014 Staples grad who was born way after that golden era. The film earned kudos on the festival circuit.
You can find it by clicking here.
Better yet, click below.
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Lynsey Addario’s latest New York Times story is one of her most harrowing.
“Mom, I Want to Live” chronicles the struggles of a young 6-year-old Ukrainian girl. She’s battling cancer, while her country battles the Russian invasion.
Her father was killed on the front line.
Addario — a Pulitzer Prize and MacArthur “genius grant” winner, who graduated from Staples in 1991 — contributed both the compelling photos and riveting text.
Click here to see, and read. (Hat tip: Mary Condon)
Lynsey Addario’s photos capture the heartbreak — and occasional joys — of a 6-year-old girl in Ukraine. (Photo/Lynsey Addario for the New York Times)
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There is plenty of nature — flowers, birds and more — in today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo, by Audrey Hertzel:
(Photo/Audrey Hertzel)
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Today is both Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples Day.
The second holiday began in Berkeley, California, in 1992, to coincide with the 500th anniversary of the arrival of Columbus in the Americas (October 12, 1492). It recognizes that America was not “discovered”; millions of people already lived here.
Indigenous Peoples Day has since been adopted by other cities and states.
In 2021, Joe Biden became the first president to issue a proclamation honoring the holiday.
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Even though I am a huge NY Mets fan, it was fun watching Ben G. wrap it up for the dodgers last night. BTW I still can’t figure out where at the WPD dept. that car in the photo from yesterday was.?
According to photographer Susan Garment, it was next to the exterior classroom door, on the side of the police station.
Loved Ben’s comments that they need to be ready every game “whether we play 2 or 3 games in NY….” Love that.
First, thanks for the post about “The High School That Rocked!” and thanks to CPTV for promoting it and streaming it on its video platforms.
I am also commenting here as a huge sports fan who is not only incredibly impressed by what Ben has done to date—and, while Staples did indeed host those music legends back in the mid-1960s, I want to draw attention for the moment to the legends on the Dodgers back then (and I am saying this as a fan of the SF Giants back in the day).
Many baseball fans will naturally recall one of the great duos in Major League history, Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale, who led the Dodgers to 3 World Series appearances in 4 years from 1963-66.
But one of the most amazing seasons in MLB history was achieved in 1966 by a relief pitcher for the Dodgers, Phil Regan. His record was a mind-boggling 14-1 that year—and all of those were done in relief. As Phil Rizzuto used to say, Holy Cow!
I doubt we will ever see that duplicated (just as I doubt we will ever see a famous rock band at or near its peak perform again at Staples).
“October 1964” written by David Halberstam is a must read for baseball fans.